title: Should informed consent for cancer treatment include a discussion about hospital outcome disparities?
abstract: Several studies have found disparities in the outcome of medical procedures across different hospitals--better outcomes have been associated with higher procedure volume. An Institute of Medicine workshop found such a "volume-outcome relationship" for two types of cancer surgery: resection of the pancreas and esophagus (http://www.iom.edu/?id=31508). This debate examines whether physicians have an ethical obligation to inform patients of hospital outcome disparities for these cancers.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Housri
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Weil
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Shalowitz
authors.forename: Leonidas G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Koniaris
mesh_terms: D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*